Refrigerator door construction



July 14, 1931.

V. P. WARREN REFRIGERATOR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 26, 1928 Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES VIRGIL r. WARREN, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA REFRIGERATOR D003 CONSTRUCTION Application filed December 26, 1928, Serial No. 328,469.

This invention relates to door construction 111 general, and more particularly to refrigerator doors. i

This invention is peculiarly adapted for use with doors of comparatively great length, and in which a single cam latch is used at the center of'the striking edge of the door to lock the door in closed position. In doors of this type the latch ensures close'contact only of the center of the striking edge of the door, and it frequently happens thatthe outer face of the door warps concave and thereby causes the top and bottom ends of said striking edge to bend outwardly from the refrigerator framework, even when the door is locked, and thereby permit leakage of warm out-side air into the refrigerator. 7 I It is the main object of thepresent invention to eliminate this objectionable warping of these doors, and'to ensure that the ends of the striking edges of the door are always in close cont-act with the refrigerator frame work. This may be accomplished by purposely warping the striking edge of the door so that itsends contact slightly before the center thereof, which may then be forcedinto contact with the framework of the refrigerator by the cam action of the center latch.

It is also an object of. the present invention to provide a door construction of great strength peculiarly adapted for the rough use to which refrigerator doors are commonly subjected. I

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the. detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a door construction embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a door constructed according to this invention;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the striking stile of the door;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the door, with parts broken away to show details of construction; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the ends of the door, with parts broken away to show otherwise concealed details of construction; and

with the framework slightly in advance of comparatively great length relative to its '60 width, and provided with hinges 5, 6 and 7 which secure it pivotally to the said framework.

The hinges 5, 6 and 7, being arranged with. c the hinges 5 and 7 adjacent the ends of the 5 door, and the hinge 6 at the'middle of the hinged edge thereof, maintain the hinged edge always in close contact with the framework through the length ofthe door whenever thedoor is closed. The striking edge 7 of the door 8, however, is provided with a cam-shaped keeper 9 of usual construction, adapted to cooperate with a latch '10 pivotally fixed to framework to lock the door in closed, position. i

As so far described this construction is a common one, and provides no means for ensuring positive contact of'the upper. and lower ends 11 and 12 of the striking edge of the door with the framework; and, frequently,'8o the outer face of the striking edge becomes 'bowed'so that only the center'of the striking edge and near the lock thereof makes contact withthe framework.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome this defect in the usual construction and to cause the upper and lower ends of the striking edge of thedoor to contact the center of said edge. To effect this, the bevelled part 13 of the striking edge of the door is provided with an arcuate groove 14, with the concave side of the groove located opposite to the front face of the door. This groove 14; at its apex is just deep enough to accommodate a steel rod 15, andatfits ends issufficiently deep to allow the steel 'rod to exercise its spring efiect perpendicularly to the faces of the door. v g V The steel rod 15 is normally straight and 9 that the invention is not to be limited to is sprung into the arcuate groove 14. As will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 6 the outer ends of the rod 15 exercise a constant pressure tending to make the striking edge of the door convex on its outer face and thereby cause the upper and lower ends of this striking edge to contact with the face of the framework in advance of the center of said striking edge.

When the door is moved to closing position the upper and lower ends of the striking edge contact with the framework first, then the action of the cam latch 10 forces the center of the striking edge into the contact with the framework, and also increases the pressure of the ends 11 and 12 against said framework. In the manufacture of these doors all the edges and faces thereof are made as straight as possible in the usual manner, and the steel spring rod 15 is set into the groove 14: for the purpose of making the striking edge concave. l Vhen first set in, the steel spring rod has very little effect in bowingthe striking edge of the door; but, it has been found that the constant pressure of the ends of rods actually do cause the bowing of said striking edge sufiiciently to ensure constant contact of the striking edge of the door throughout its length with the framework.

In manufacturing this type of door it has also beenfound advantageous to bore the wood work of the door transversely and to insert in the bores thereof straight steel rods 16 which prevent transverse warping of the door.

The groove 14, spring 15 and dowel rods 16 are all concealed by 21. facing 17 of rust proof iron which also prevents separation of the spring and bolts from the other elements of the door.

As shown clearly in Fig. 1 all the edges of the door are provided with a strip of re silient material 18 to ensure an air tight fit of all the striking edges of door with the framework.

lVhile I have shown this invention as applied to the striking edge of the door to bow said edge so as to make the ends thereof contact with the framework 1n advance of the center of said edge,'1t must befunderstood this construction as ;I have shown in my copending application, Serial No. 328,466, filed December 26,1928, construction in which the cam latches are mounted at the ends of along door and in which steel spring inserts' are arranged to cause the center of the striking-edges to contact with the framework in advance of the ends thereof. This latter construction is merely the converse of the construction disclosed herein. Accordingly, the broad invention disclosed in the two applications will be broadly claimed in the present application, and claims to the specific construction of the form of the invention disclosed in said copending application will be made in said application only.

What I claim is:

1. A refrigerator comprising framework having an opening formed therein, a door hinged to said framework to form a closure for said opening, cooperating means on said framework on said door near the striking edge thereof for locking said door in closed position, each of'the long edges of said door having an arcuate groove therein with the convex side thereof extending toward the outside face of said door, and a normally straight piece of spring steel embedded in each of said grooves to make the striking edges of said door slightly convex.

2. In combination with framework having an opening there-through leading to a compartment therein, a door for said opening hinged to said framework and provided with a groove in the striking edge thereof, and

means inserted in said groove to bend said striking edge arcuately.

8. In combination with framework having an opening therethrough leading to a compartment therein, a door for said opening hinged to said framework and provided with a groove in the striking edge thereof, and a rod of springy material inserted in said groove to bend said striking edge arcuately.

4. In combination with framework having an opening therethrough leading to a compartment therein, a door for said opening hinged to said framework and provided with an arcuate groove in the striking edge thereof, and a normally straight rod of springy material sprung into said groove to bend the said striking edge arcuately.

5. v In combination with framework having an opening therethrough leading to a compartment therein, a door for said opening hingedto said framework and provided with an arcuate groove in the striking edge thereof, said groove having its apex farther from the striking edge of the face of the door than the ends thereof, and a normally straight rod of springy material sprung into said groove to bend said striking edge "with the outer face of the door convex.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature. VIRGIL P. WARREN, 

